LONG BLOG

The "Great" War was neither a "War" nor was it "Great". Discuss Amongst yourselves.

You're not funny anymore Mike Myers.

Actually, it was a horrific war paid for by the lives of countless men and women that set in motion many things that formed the way our world is today. It doesn't get nearly the amount of attention it deserves in the history books here in the US. I can't speak for my friends in Europe, UK and around the world, but in my humble opinion, the Great War is becoming a forgotten war.

Here in the US, WWII is, frankly, a BIG DEAL. The history books give it a certain narrative. There's the bad guys (Boo Germany, Japan, Italy) and there's the good guys (YAY US and UK). We don't like talking about the Soviets too much because that muddies up the waters and hurts our brains. There's good times, bad times, and ultimately, victory. It's a good story. Makes for good TV, cinema, and videogames. Now, I'm not being anti-US. I'm proud to be American, but I do feel that we're forgetting a vital part of our history.

'MERICA!

World War I? Now that's complicated. It was a tangle of geo-political tension, tied with a certain amount of nationalism that formed into a powder keg, exploding into a quagmire. It was a war where antiquated tactics met mechanical weaponry. It was a war of inches, fought in the trenches. It wasn't sexy. It was miserable.

There are no more living veterans of this war. The last was Florence Green, a member of the Women's Royal Air Force. She passed on February 4, 2012. She was 110 years-old. It's now up to the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to pass down the history to future generations. Sorry to say, but we're not doing a very good job.

WWI veteran Florence Green.

That is why hearing about Ubisoft's Valiant Hearts: The Great War was such a pleasant surprise. I enjoy reading up on history and always felt that WWI was slowly being forgotten. Seeing a company take a medium as thoroughly modern as videogames to tell a story that takes place during such a pivotal time in human history brings a smile to my face.

I truly hope that Valiant Hearts is a success. I hope that Ubisoft treats the subject with the honor and respect it deserves. From the video below, it seems that they are.

In age when videogames are under attack for being overly violent, here's a title that can bring some visibility to a time and topic that is slowly being forgotten by today's generation. It won't get nearly as much, if any mention on the big news networks and it won't sell millions of copies like AAA title, but hopefully a few people will learn something along the way, and maybe go out and try to learn more.